Free Agent Rumors: Lakers, Mavs, Cavs, Crawford
It's past midnight on the East Coast, and that means teams may negotiate with free agents from other clubs, as the NBA's offseason gets under way in earnest. Players can't officially sign contracts until July 11, and trades can't be made official until that date either. That doesn't mean there won't be plenty of talk and agreements in principle between now and then, and if this evening is any indication, we're in for a busy couple of weeks ahead. There are several bits of news rolling in on free agents as July begins, so we'll round up what we're hearing around the late-night rumor mill here.
- The Lakers are seeking a point guard in free agency, and in addition to reaching out to Ramon Sessions, they're also targeting veterans like Chauncey Billups, Jameer Nelson, and Kirk Hinrich, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- In search of a center, the Mavericks have shown some interest in Hasheem Thabeet and Joel Przybilla, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- The Cavaliers have expressed interest in Jonny Flynn, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. They're also eyeing Sonny Weems, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
Celtics Targeting Shooting Guards
Faced with the possibility that Ray Allen may have played his last game with the Celtics, Boston is targeting shooting guards early in free agency, according to various reports. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Celtics are pursuing Jason Terry and have interest in Nick Young, while multiple reports indicate the C's have contacted Jamal Crawford. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld adds O.J. Mayo and Sonny Weems to the list of players that have already been contacted by Boston (Twitter link).
Grizzlies Plan To Offer Ray Allen Full Mid-Level
Earlier today, we heard that the Heat intended to aggressively pursue Ray Allen when free agency begins late tonight. However, Miami isn't the only team with Allen atop its wish list. Sources familiar with the Grizzlies' plans tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Memphis will go hard after Allen, and intends to offer him the team's full $5MM mid-level exception.
Bulls Rumors: Thibodeau, Hinrich, Korver
The basketball world is focused on the draft at the moment, but while Chicago waits to pick at No. 29, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune has checked in with a column full of Bulls-related items. You can continue to follow tonight's draft results here and any last-minute rumors right here, but in the meantime, let's round up the highlights from Johnson….
Amico On Lakers, Mayo, Rockets, Varejao
With the Lakers holding only the 60th pick in the draft, much of the talk surrounding the team has had to do with Pau Gasol. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears much more from L.A. and shares it along with a number of tidbits from around the Association. A source tells Amico the Lakers will look to dump salary this offseason and sign Spencer Hawes, Nick Young, Kirk Hinrich and Kris Humphries. The Lakers may also look into trading for Jordan Crawford if the Wizards draft Bradley Beal tonight. Here's more from Amico:
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Hawks, Rose
Odds & Ends: Thunder, Hinrich, D-Will, Garnett
We're just hours away from Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals, and much of the coverage leading up to the series has focused on how this may be just the first of many title shots for the Thunder. However, Steve Perrin of SBNation.com doesn't necessarily see it that way, noting that the new CBA that was supposed to help small-market teams compete will work against Oklahoma City when James Harden and Serge Ibaka become free agents. The title window for the Thunder may not be as big as you'd think, at least with the current roster, says Perrin.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA, as we await tonight's opening tip….
Odds & Ends: Rose, Bulls, Knicks, Terry
- The Knicks will be looking for another point guard to partner with Jeremy Lin, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Among Berman's list of targets are Kirk Hinrich, Gary Neal, Derek Fisher, A.J. Price, Jannero Pargo, and Jonny Flynn. He also mentions Ramon Sessions, Raymond Felton, Goran Dragic, Andre Miller, Jameer Nelson, and Steve Nash, but I think that the names on this latter list would only be sought after if contract talks with Lin were to somehow fall apart.
- After recently having his interim tag removed, Knicks GM Glen Grunwald has a lot of work cut out for him in the upcoming months, says Al Iannazzone of Newsday. He also adds that with the mid-level likely committed to Lin and no first-round pick, Grunwald will have to be creative with trades and free agency in order to address their back court needs. In another article, Iannazzone goes over the five biggest questions facing the team moving forward.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News speculates that Jason Terry could be on his way out if Deron Williams lands with the Mavericks (subscribers only).
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly NBA chat with fans. Here are some of his notable thoughts: the Magic may try to package their #19 pick along with Jason Richardson or Chris Duhon to create cap relief, Austin Rivers' game is comparable to Jason Terry and Jamal Crawford, and predicts that Dwight Howard will wind up signing with the Nets eventually.
- Bob Young of the Arizona Republic offers his input on the chances of reportedly interested teams in their pursuit of Steve Nash. Phoenix, Toronto, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, and Portland are given consideration.
- John Rohde of NewsOK explores how the support of his Thunder teammates has played a pivotal role in Eric Maynor's road to recovery from a torn ACL.
Hinrich Wouldn’t Mind Return To Bulls
Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his nine-year career this summer, and he's open to returning to the Bulls, where he spent his first seven seasons, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
"I wouldn't be opposed to it," he said. "It's still a ways away, and a lot can happen. We'll see. I have no preconceived thoughts on what will happen."
Hinrich, 31 is on the last year of a five-year, $48.75MM deal he signed the Bulls before the traded him to the Wizards in 2010 to clear cap space for that year's heralded crop of free agents. The Wizards sent him to the Hawks at the trade deadline a year ago.
Johnson points out that Hinrich will have to take a pay cut to go back to Chicago, as the Bulls' commitments will put them over the cap and close to the luxury tax line next season. That would leave only cap exceptions or a minimum-salary deal at their disposal. Hinrich also said he's enjoyed his time with the Hawks, who possess his Bird rights and only have $60.9MM on next year's payroll.
The former Kansas standout is suffering through perhaps his worst season, putting up career lows in points (9.8) and assists (3.7) per 36 minutes. The Bulls have shown they have plenty of backcourt depth this season when Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton have been sidelined by injury, but Rose, Hamilton and rookie swingman Jimmy Butler are the only guards whose contracts are fully guaranteed next year. Bringing back Hinrich is not a move the Bulls have a pressing need for, but if Hinrich is willing to make it happen at a bargain, they may take him up on that.
Trade Rumors: Hinrich, Pierce, Pistons, Crawford
The NBA's 2:00pm trade deadline is upon us, but teams who are close to deals could still be given a little leeway to finalize things. Here are a few of the latest rumors:
- Kirk Hinrich will remain a Hawk through the deadline, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Hawks and Bobcats will stand pat, says Steve Kyler of Hoops World (Twitter link).
- Interest in Paul Pierce picked up today, but a deal isn't likely because the Celtics' asking price is too high, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- The Pistons received and made phone calls, but likely won't make a deadline deal, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
- Joe Freeman of The Oregonian tweets that the Blazers are still working on a Jamal Crawford trade, but a deal doesn't look likely, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).